Butterfly Wings
by Gerri
Summary: Somebody dies. Can't tell you who, coz that'd ruin the whole thing.


_Author's note: This story is actually taking place after one of the tam's missions. The bad guys got caught, but one of the Quest Team's members got hurt, you see. Anyway, a friend of mine read this and said it was really depressing, but I dunno, so…just read it and tell me what you think!!_  
  
_DISCLAIMER: Same old. Don't own, don't sue, and I'm making no money off this._  
  


Butterfly Wings

  
Benton Quest looked up as the figure emerged out of the room.  
She walked up to him.   
  
"There's a lot of blood loss, and internal bleeding. I'm very sorry, but…there's nothing more I can do."  
  
She stood up and walked away quickly, head bowed in sadness.  
  
Benton stared after the doctor dumbly for a while, then he pushed open the door and walked into the room.  
  
Nearing the bed, he looked at the still figure lying there, chest rising and falling gently with each laboured breath. As he sat down on the chair by the bed, tired eyes fluttered open and wandered over to him. On seeing him, pale lips turned up in a weak smile, and slowly mouthed:   
"I love you."  
  
Benton smiled back through his tears.  
  
"I love you too, Jonny."  


***

  
Sitting alone on the dark beach outside the Quest Compound, Jessica Bannon watched the stars as the tide lapped gently at her feet. Back at the hospital earlier that afternoon, Jonny insisted on going home, and Dr Quest had finally relented. She started when her father's strong arm wrapped around her shoulders.  
  
"Whatcha thinkin' about, ponchita?" Race Bannon asked softly.  
  
Turning to gaze into her father's eyes, Jessie finally gave in to the growing despair within her and broke down and cried.  
"Dad, what are we gonna do without Jonny? What am I gonna do without him?" she sobbed.  
  
"Be strong. That's what Jonny would want," Race said as he pulled his daughter into a tight embrace. He looked up at the stars dotting the dark velvet sky.  
  
"We'll find him a star of his own…"  


***

  
Benton looked down at Jonny's prone form. After the long trip back from the hospital, Jonny had fallen into a fitful sleep the minute they reached home. He was now wearing a white sweater and his favourite pair of blue jeans. Brushing away stray wisps of blond hair from his son's forehead, he wondered how this was hardly fair at all…Jonny was only 14 years old. And yet, had it truly been 14 years since he'd first held Jonny in his arms?  
  
Benton traced the contours of his son's face with his eyes.  
  
Faintly, he remembered the time when Rachel had just passed away; it had hurt him so much just to look at Jonny. Jonny looked so much like his mother…he always reminded Benton of her. Worst of all, how was he going to explain this to Hadji when he got back from Bangalore?  
  
Sighing, he laid his head to rest on Jonny's bed as he sat on the floor by his bedside and grasped Jonny's cold hand.  


***

  
When Benton awoke, the sun was just rising over the horizon. He watched, transfixed, as the sky turned from blue to pink to orange and yellow. Rachel had loved…  
  
"Mom loved watching the sunrise, didn't she?" Jonny's soft, strained voice interrupted his reverie.  
  
Benton smiled. "Yes. She did."  
  
"It's beautiful." A ray of sunlight filled Jonny's room.   
  
And he saw the angel that his father couldn't see.  
  
"Dad…look, it's Mom…"  
  
Benton followed his son's gaze. There was nothing there. Then he understood.  
  
He squeezed Jonny's hand even tighter.   
  
"Rachel, please don't take Jonny from away from me…he's all I have left…" he pleaded.  
  
"Dad…can't you see Mom?"  
  
A wave of calm swept over Benton. A familiar voice sounded in his mind.  
  
"Benton, Jonny's like a butterfly. He's ready to fly; don't clip his wings now."  
  
"Rachel, please…" Benton moved onto the bed and cradled Jonny against him. He was suddenly aware of Jonny's short, almost gasping breaths and the weak, faint heartbeat pulsing from within his chest.  
  
"Benton, don't you see? Every second more that Jonny's struggling to live is putting him in great pain. You have to help him let go; free him from his pain…"  
  
"Dad, Mom's really pretty…" Jonny mumbled in the voice of a young child.  
  
"Benton, set Jonny free to fly."  
  
With sobs that wracked his entire body, Benton Quest opened his hands to release the butterfly…  
  
_

*Fly butterfly, spread your wings,  
Fly to the sun and the ends of the Earth,  
And send your love back to me…*

_  
  
"Dad…there's just so much I want to say…"  
"I know, Jonny. Shh…just rest…"  
  
_

*Fly and be free,  
Fly and be happy,  
But don't forget me…*

_  
  
"Love…you…"  
  
Jonny's eyes closed as he fell into an eternal sleep and his heart stopped beating.   
  
Benton pulled his son's lifeless body closer to him as he cried tears of sadness and pain.  
  
_

*Fly on your newfound patterned wings,  
But all I ask of you is to remember,  
That I shall always love you…*

_  
  
  
_Copyright Gerri 2000_  
  
Please review this story; I know it's not very deep stuff, but just do me this _little_ favour, okay? 


End file.
